Seven Days of Courtship
by sugarbug
Summary: A series of somewhat-related drabbles written way-back-when for Korrlok Week. Rating varies.
1. Chapter 1

I wrote these for Korrlok Week back in August and I figured I might as well post them here, too.

Most of these are harmless-the last one is the only one that deserves the M rating-but some of these aren't good enough to be posted on their own and damn it, if some of them are staying together, they're all staying together.

Day 1: Smug

* * *

The smirk on her face was infuriating.

She looked so self-satisfied, crossing her arms, smiling for the pictures.

Sure, she was strong. Sure, she was brave. Sure, she was tough. Sure, she was a hero. Sure, she was beautiful.

But must she be so _smug_ about it?

* * *

That little half-smile on his face just pissed her off.

He just looked so damn pleased with himself, posing for the pictures, giving them a show.

He must have thought he was so great. All he did was lead a task force to catch some equalists. What's the big deal? She could have done that.

Okay sure, he was a top-notch waterbender. And a great leader. And smart. And charismatic. And, okay, _kinda_ hot for his age.

But did he have to be so damn _smug_ about it?


	2. Noodles

This one was a bit frustrating because I felt like I could have gone further with it but I didn't know where to go.

Day 2: Noodles

* * *

"Sure, Tarrlok. I'll have dinner with you," Korra had said with a devious smile. "But only if _I_ get to pick the restaurant."

When she said that, Tarrlok assumed they would be dining at the most expensive place in town; that she would punch as big of a dent in his wallet as she could.

As it turned out, she had something much more humiliating in mind.

He sank deep into his chair and scanned the room for photographers. The place was nearly empty, and he wasn't sure if that was good, because less people would see him, or bad, because it drew more attention to the few people—such as himself—who were there. There were a few families there, and some friends dining together. All of them stole glances at him when they thought he couldn't tell.

Tarrlok was a man that prided himself on his class and refinement. When he went out to eat, he usually went to the upper-end establishments, the places that had a suit-and-tie dress code.

He could see tomorrow's headline already—"Councilman Tarrlok spotted at Narook's: does he have cheap tastes or is he just cheap?" He grimaced.

Korra, in the seat across from him, slurped her noodles, feigning obliviousness.

"So," Tarrlok said, with an awkward cough. "Do you… come here often?" Korra loudly inhaled the noodles that she was working on and grinned.

"Yup!" She said. "I come here all the time with my friend Bolin. The noodles here really remind me of home."

"Really," he said, his eyes transfixed on her messy, all-consuming mouth. _Such atrocious table manners. _But it was endearing, in a way.

"How 'bout you?" She asked, her cheeks puffing with noodles. "Ever been here before?"

"Can't say that I have," Tarrlok replied. "This kind of place is… not to my taste, usually."

"I figured," Korra said. She grinned "That's why I brought you here. I thought I could get you to lighten up a little. You know, you're kind of a stick in the mud." Tarrlok stared at her for a moment. Then, for the first time, he smiled and forgot where he was.


	3. Politics

Day 3: Politics

* * *

If Tarrlok could get thousands of people to choose him to represent the Northern Water Tribe, then surely it was a simple matter to win over one girl.

Once he got her to join his task force, he'd easily worm his way into her heart.

All it would take is a short speech, perhaps play on her pride. Then she'd be putty in his—oh, okay, that didn't work. Time to try something else.

Gifts! When he was campaigning in the North, he used to hand out gift bags to passersby. Maybe a fruit basket would—oh, that didn't work. Well, how about—no. So it seems she's a woman with expensive tastes. He'd have to give her something big, something to show her how serious he was. A satomobile!

Now it was only a matter of time before she came running.

…

…

…

Any day now…

…

…

Well, hm. He didn't want to have to do this, but he'd have to try something more underhanded.

She was a teenage girl, and teenage girls had their insecurities. Perhaps he could exploit that.

He didn't like it, but it seemed it had to be done. That was how politics worked.


	4. Frozen

Day 4: Frozen

* * *

Korra stared at her icy likeness. She was at eye level with the statue, and its cold, soulless eyes stared back at her with an eerie confidence and triumph.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Tarrlok said beside her. "I hired a professional. Unfortunately, he didn't get all the details right, so I had to fix it myself." Korra wondered what it had looked like before Tarrlok got his hands on it.

Since she joined his task force, Tarrlok had been throwing more and more extravagant parties. Each of them had her picture in some way or another, but nothing so detailed and accurate, nothing like _this_.

"It's, uh…" Korra's mind jumped to the words _creepy_ and _invasive_, but she shooed the ideas away. "… a real piece of work…" Tarrlok grinned at her, and it seemed almost genuine.

"I'm so glad you like it," he said. He looked at it, contemplatively. "Such a shame that it will melt eventually, though I suppose I could keep it intact with waterbending." Korra had to process the words slowly.

"You're… you're going to keep it? After the party?" She asked.

"Of course. I could just take it apart with waterbending, but that would be such a waste of a masterpiece, don't you think?" Korra's eye twitched unbidden.


	5. Spirituality

I was... unsatisfied with this one, but some people liked it, so...

Day 5: Spirituality

* * *

Tarrlok sat cross-legged on the floor in his office. Korra sat across from him in the same position. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Tarrlok didn't make a big deal of it, but he sometimes meditated in his spare time. Her might even say it was the only reason he could stand to waterbend after his father and brother were gone.

When he learned of the avatar's spiritual difficulties, he was eager to share his hobby with her. He claimed that, as a fellow waterbender, he might have a spiritual connection that could help her. It was a win-win situation for him; he got the chance to get closer to her, and at the same time, had the chance to make Tenzin look like a fool.

"You have to clear your mind of all thoughts," Tarrlok said. "Focus only on the sound of the water."

"How am I supposed to clear my mind and focus at the same time?" Korra asked, popping one eye open.

"Just focus on the water," Tarrlok replied, trying not to let his frustration show. Korra sighed and closed her eyes again. A minute passed.

"Okay, I've been focusing on the water, and I'm not feeling spiritual, and now I need to pee," Korra said. Tarrlok shuddered at her crudeness.

"Very well. Go… relieve yourself and then we'll try again," Tarrlok was beginning to see why Tenzin was having so much trouble with her.

"Alright," Korra stood and stretched. She began walking to the door and stopped. "Hey, Tarrlok?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks… for trying to help. You… don't really have to do this." Korra said, sheepishly.

"It's my pleasure, Avatar Korra."


	6. Predator

Day 6: Predator

* * *

The words 'hunting trip' had turned sour in his mind.

So much so that, when his father died and he was forced to provide for himself and his mother, he avoided the words altogether. He called it 'gathering meat,' or 'catching prey.'

He liked to think of himself as a ruthless predator, tracking down his prey, killing the unsuspecting with speed and precision. His favorite tactic was luring them with food. He always tried to kill the animals as quickly and painlessly as possible. He'd made them suffer enough.

In many ways, he felt the same way when he decided to start pursuing Korra. She was young—just over half his age—naïve, and innocent. She probably didn't even realize she was being courted at first, just as the animals never suspected they were being hunted.

Lately, she had even started coming to him. She'd stay close to him on task force missions and strike up conversations with him during downtime. She'd even, to his amusement, hint that she'd like to join him for dinner again sometime.

He might say she was developing a crush on him.

One night, she surprised him. Instead of hinting like usual, she asked outright.

It was somewhat of a relief, to be the prey instead of the predator.


	7. First Time

Now, here's the one that warrants the M rating.

Day 7: First Time

* * *

Once they were in his bedroom, she stood on her toes and they kissed. It was chaste for now, a tender meeting of the lips; Tarrlok had assumed they would take it slow since this was her first time. He'd figured that, as the inexperienced one, she would be nervous, and thus he let her set the pace. So he was mildly surprised when he felt her tongue in his mouth.

He pulled away and, once he collected himself, spoke to save face.

"My, you're eager, aren't you?" He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. They sounded much stupider in his ears than in his mind. She seemed unfazed, rolling her eyes at him.

"I figured we didn't come to your room to chat," she said.

"Of course." Her lips touched his again, and this time her hands roamed over his body. He was quite proud of his physique—he was well-built for someone who spent most of his time behind a desk—but under her touch, he felt strangely shy. Slowly, tentatively, he began feeling her as well. This seemed to encourage her, and she began pulling his three ponytails loose. When his hair was free she pulled away and studied him.

"What is it?" He asked. She put a hand on her chin as if in thought.

"I think I like you better with your hair down. It makes you look… wild," she said. He fought to suppress his blush. For spirits' sake, he was a thirty-seven-year-old politician, not some virginal school boy. He moved his hands to her hair pieces, but changed his mind.

"No. I think I prefer your hair up," he muttered. _It makes you look more refined_ he thought, but he didn't want to mimic her. She smirked and pulled his jacket off, letting it fall to the floor—he cringed—but then she got lost in the shirt underneath.

"What do—how do I—_how does this stupid thing work?_" she said. He chuckled and pushed her hands away.

He removed his shirt and undershirt and tossed them away neatly. When he looked back up at her she was already done taking off her own clothes—my, she really _was_ eager—and he finished undressing as well. He guided her backwards onto the bed and sat over her, drinking in her naked form. He had, of course, been with many women before, but they were mature, classy women; none so energetic and lithe as the young avatar beneath him, and the prospect excited him. And when she gazed down at his erection with wonderment and embarrassment, he was reminded for the first time that evening that she was a virgin.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her, gently. She gave him a small, confident chuckle, but he could hear the nervousness beneath it.

"Kinda late to turn back now, doncha think?" She said.

"It's never too late. You don't have to—"

"I want to," she insisted.

"Are you sure—"

"Damn it, Tarrlok, just fuck me already!" She rolled them over so that she was on top of him. She positioned herself, and, with a sigh that he couldn't quite read, began pumping up and down on him.

She sat straight up, her breasts and hair bouncing up and down. Although no one could possibly hear them, he tried to keep his groans of pleasure low and contained. She, meanwhile, belted out her moans at the top of her lungs, pleased and shameless. Proud, even.

Korra was so in control that it nearly left Tarrlok with nothing to do. He moved his hands up and began kneading her breasts and squeezing her nipples, but his eyes were stuck on their joined groins. He marveled at how well their bodies fit together.

When it was done she lowered her head, pecked him tenderly on the lips and nuzzled into his chest.

He shouldn't have been surprised that she was gone when he awoke. They wouldn't want Tenzin wondering where she'd been. Still, though, it made him feel used.

On the other hand, they had never taken the time to define their relationship. Time would tell if this first time would be the last.


End file.
